May 19th, 2021.  I received an email from Chief Barringer stating the 3 Lieutenants would be moving shifts.  Something that never occurred unless there was a legitimate reason.  

May 20th, 2021—Knowing this was a retaliatory act, I emailed Fire Chief Barringer and Board President Dawn Mitchell since attempts to resolve the conflict directly with Barringer were unsuccessful. 

June 6th, 2021 Meeting With Barringer and Mitchell expressing all of my concerns of treatment, concerns of whistleblower retaliation, etc,

June 24th, 2021 I had a second Meeting with Board President and Fire Chief with no resolve. 

In August of 2021, I Emailed the Fire Chief asking him to reconsider the shift change since there didn't seem to be a legitimate reason but a pattern of retaliation.   Barringer refused without providing a valid reason. I replied, stating that this was causing me legitimate anxiety, the clinical kind he knew I dealt with. (more on my anxiety later).  After that failed, I contacted Board President Dawn Mitchell, asking her to intervene. If she failed to do something, I would file a Complaint with BOLI.  She did not intervene. I was moved to a different shift.   Josh Starha asked me before the move why he thought the Lieutenants were moving shifts, and I said it appeared to be Barringer's way of punishing me.  He stated that's also what he thought.  (Just for note, Josh Starha is the Brother-in-law to Barringer; their wives are sisters)  Josh Starha was a groomsman at my wedding. 

After moving shifts, things only appeared to get worse. The new supervisor, Battalion Chief Randy Whitfield, proved the shift change and change of supervisor was to punish me.  In October 2021, I tweaked my back on a call and could not get out of bed the next day.  I called into work sick a few days later and was publicly chastised in an email by Whitfield instructing everyone to follow the Lexipol Policy.  More details here: Shift Changes.  I had expressed concern that we were never told we had switched to new policies, only that we were reviewing them.  He confirmed that we were not following them the following shift. 

Prior to the following shift, I was dealing with some significant anxiety the evening before I was supposed to work.  I called Travis Hewitt, my friend, Fire Chief of Halsey-Shedd Fire District, and Groomsman, who I had been confiding about the treatment by Barringer.   Hewitt advised me to call out sick tomorrow and, if my wife wasn't home, to come and see him as he didn't want me to be alone.   I told him I would consider it. After things got worse, I called a few hours before my shift.  

The following day, I went to talk with Travis at his work in Halsey. In the evening, someone at the station sent out a "Blank Page" via the System that alerts everyone who phones that there is an emergency. Barringer used that fake page to access the GPS location on my phone and track my location so he could come and find me.  

Hewitt had to leave in a Car Wreck on I-5. When I left, I saw a Barringers Department vehicle near the freeway on-ramp.  I knew at that time he was after me.   I called in sick the following day as my anxiety was only worse after knowing Barringer was going to great lengths to punish me. Travis had told him I wasn't in a condition to work. Barringer was still convinced he had to punish me in some way. 

 Before my next shift, Hewitt asked me to come by. Travis informed me that I would be placed on administrative leave the following day as soon as I got to work.   He offered to call Barringer.  I asked him to call and have Barringer meet us.   I  was given a letter stating that I was on paid administrative leave.  According to Travis, it was intended to allow Barringer and me some time apart for the next month as Barringer would be training the new Fire Chief who was just hired, Mark "Nick" Tyler  2022_04_22  First Admin Leave Letter from Barringer. I could tell this was a punishment as it was supposed to be for my health, but I wasn't allowed at the Fire Station, which is contradictory to someone there's claim that they were trying to help. 

On my admin leave I was asked to perform various administrative "IT" tasks.  

On May 9th, 2022, I received an email from Barringer requiring me to complete a Day Long Psyc Eval in which I had no way to appeal, which could have resulted in long-lasting results from a Psycologist who was paid a significant sum of money to do way employers request.  (Mostly Police and Fire Agencies for Pre-Employment Screening)  2022_05_09 FFDE Attachment 1 

A few days later, Josh Starha informed me that Randy Whitfield and Dave Barringer were going around "trying to find dirt on" me to support their decision to put me on admin leave. He stated he refused to provide them with any information. 

I contacted another friend of mine, Chris Barnes, the Monroe Fire Chief, and another groomsman at my wedding. Barringer was trying to get others to provide documentation of me to support their claims and request that I go through FFDE. He advised me that he was aware that Dave Barringer contacted Steven Wallace, the Mohawk Valley Fire Chief, and asked Steven to provide documentation against me.   I confirmed with Steven Wallace that Barringer indeed did contact him, and he had sent an email to Barringer stating that I was at the Mohawk Valley Fire Station on day 9 of a 10-day quarantine.  I had previously requested to return to work since, after an Exposure to COVID, I never tested positive. 

As this was a violation of many different parts of the CBA Agreement and various laws, I sent the following Letter,  I included a release from my physician 2022_05_15 Lincoln to Barringer FFDE Concerns

After I was convinced that Barringer and now the New Chief were trying to fire me. I filled a workers comp claim for my anxiety (more details below or here) 

In July of 2022, I had a meeting with a Psychiatrist hired by the Districts insurance attempting to disprove my claim. The Psychiatrist attributed my anxiety to post-traumatic stress as a direct result of a 2012 Incident in which 2 co-workers falsely modified an HIV test after I was stuck with a Patient needle.  The Negative HIV test was changed to Positive, Suggesting I had contracted AIDs.  The test results were left on a dresser by my sleeping bunk.  I woke up to them and immediately left the station.  I believed I had contracted HIV/AIDs Until I returned later to the Fire Station and was told it was a prank.  (2 employees still work for the district.  One Lieutenant received 2 weeks without pay, and the Supervisor, Battalion Chief Shannon Petter, received a step decrease (She was and still is the District's Privacy Officer and Infectious Control Officer.

Since the Incident 10 years Prior, I had begun experiencing Anxiety that became increasingly more severe and peaked around 2019 after responding to multiple incidents involving traumatic child/infant fatalities. 

August 29th, 2023, I received this email from Tyler from his personal email ntyler34@gmail.com, clearly showing he was using his email to communicate about my situation but wanted to avoid it being brought up under Public Records request or Discovery Rules.   At the time, I was unable to obtain the document since it was in a .pages format.  2023_08_29 Notice of Investigation from ntyler34 personal gmail address   

August 29, 2023 Notice of Investigation Letter from Tyler. It also prevented me from discussing this investigation with anyone or facing disciplinary action. "You are ordered, at this time, not to discuss this investigation or its subject matter with anyone except for Chief Tyler or Mr. Doney. Violation of this order may be cause for discipline."

On November 8, 2022, I was called into the Fire Station to speak with Tyler. He requested that I sign a settlement agreement. If I failed to sign the agreement, I would be forced to have a follow-up interview with Mr. Doney on November 10. I informed Tyler on the 9th that I would not be signing any agreement. Not surprisingly, I called in on November 10, and Mr. Doney was unavailable and had to reschedule. 

On December 16th, I finally met and had an additional 3-hour interview with Mr. Doney. 2 parts Approximately 3 hours total  Part 1  Part 2 

The district received my official signed BOLI complaint around January 15th, 2023. (There was a delay between the original complaint in May 2022 and the signed complaint in January 2023.)  

On January 17th, 2022, during a Board Meeting it was discussed that there was a Board meeting in which it was brought up that there has been 2 BOLI complaints, and in light of the complaints, the district was going to hold off on purchasing the 2 vehicles because of the potential liability of the complaints.  https://www.sweethomenews.com/fire-district-reports-more-calls-fewer-personnel-than-20-years-ago/ 

On February 7th, 2023, I was given a "Notice of Potential Termination Letter," in which I was required to give a response by the 13th; I asked for an extension since they had 9 months to investigate. I may need more than 6 days.   It was denied by Mr. Tyler.  I later learned that the District had until the 14th to respond to the BOLI complaint.  So, they were clearly trying to use my information against me.  In the total of 7 hours of recorded testimony, I had with me some of my documentation, which included a 4-inch thick 3-ring binder with documents.

I would not let Tyler try to force me to give up my documents under threat of termination.  On February 13th, I filed 27 grievances since the grievance process would allow me to extend my time. 2023_02_13 Grievances to termination notice.pdf 

On February 27th, during a daily call, I was told to meet with Tyler in his office. I did so, and he provided a letter that denied all the grievances.

I was told I must come in on March 2nd 2023 for the next steps.

After I learned more about the Civil Service Laws in Oregon, ORS 242, I should file a signed complaint requesting a Civil Service Hearing under ORS 242.796, " deprivation of special privileges," since I believed many of my special privileges were deprived during my 11-month Administrative Leave and Investigation. Oregon ORS 242

I received no response from the first two letters. instead, on March 21st, the Board appointed 3 people to the Civil Service Commission.   Since it is required that all fire departments with four or more Full-time Firefighters have one. ORS 242.704 The Board was required to have a Civil Service Commission for at least 20 years.  They had discussed it in 8 other Board Meetings over the previous 8 years, but it never occurred. 

Here's where things go wrong.  They attempted to create a set of "Civil Service Rules," which would prevent me from being able to access the requirements established in ORS 242.  2023_04_19 Civil Service Rules.pdf 

There are several issues with these rules:

1. They were created with such haste that Pages 32-36 are identical to Pages 37-41.   

2. Since my March 9th Letter requested a hearing before these were put into place, the rules state that I am afforded the rights under the "Civil Service Rules."

3. There are very specific reasons for ORS 242.796 for discipline; The District learned that many of the reasons they are attempting to terminate are not valid reasons under 242.796

   1.   The "Civil Service Rules" created by the District took the liberty of adding reason for discipline that fit the narrative they were attempting to terminate me: 

• "Repeated or serious violations of the District's policies or standards of employee conduct"

4. The claim is that if one wanted to have the Civil Service Process, they would have to waive rights under the union contract and that the union accept the waiver of rights.  The problem is there is no provision in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the Union Contract, to waive those rights.  Making it impossible for someone exercise the rights of Firefighters under ORS 242

5. ORS 242.704 Requires rules to be created under "Ordinance, Regulation, or Charter."  

   1. According to county records, there has been no Ordinance Regulation or Charter by the Sweet Home Fire & Ambulance District relating to Civil Service.

April 8th 2023. Email sent to Civil Service Commision Requesting Hearing for termination and requested documents. 

I sent letters to the Civil Service Commission on 4/24 and 4/29, Asking them to address concerns about the lack of authority of the Civil Service Rules since they weren't created under an Ordinance, Regulation, or Charter.

Email to CSC on 4/24/23

I also sent an additional email on 4/29/23 requesting an investigation into how my Civil Service Rights were being violated and stating that the penalty for this is a criminal misdemeanor.

05/03/23 Response from Civil Service Claiming my request was untimely

BOLI's notice advised that I only had 90 days to file suit or I would lose the opportunity for any remedy.  I chose to file a suit since I was getting nowhere with the Fire District.   I was following my intentions stated in in the 2 letters to the Board on March 1st and 9th, 2023.

First was on April 10, 2024: A Suit filed in federal court for Violation of 1st, 4th and 14th Ammendment of US Constitution and violations of Oregon Revised Statue 242 Relating to the Districts intentionally witholding public hearing which would have exposed their misconduct. 

Finally in November of 2024 after demanding documents for the last 18 months I had the opportunity to subpoena these documents and then they were provided.   But magically Doney "somehow" forgot that it wasn't provided. 

Investigator Doney Report of Paramedic Student report of Bondesen's misconduct 

Transcript of Doney and Paramedic Students Interview in which she reviews some very concerning conduct.  She exonerated me and described very inappropriate actions against Mr Bondesen and others

Transcript of Interview between Bondesen and Paramedic Student 

Also, I was provided notes taken by Mr. Tyler confirming he did not investigate these allegations or even contact the other female who reportedly had the same complaint toward Bondesen years later.   (Its very suspect that days after Tyler got the BOLI Complaint from me he had a meeting with Bondesen about these allegations. 

Notes from Tyler regarding the allegations of females against Bondesen

Instead Tyler of even investigation Bondesen he was promoted to Battalion Chief.